The Best Pinball Machines of 2025 Ranked

Kineticist·article·analyzed·Dec 30, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 (batch) · $0.011

TL;DR

2025 pinball roundup: Harry Potter tops releases; Star Wars disappints; unreleased games show mixed promise.

Summary

Matt Owen's comprehensive 2025 pinball ranking article reviews major releases including Star Wars: Fall of the Empire (criticized for poor playfield layout and control), Dune (praised for theme integration despite launch code issues), King Kong (highlighted as Keith Elwin's masterwork), and Jersey Jack's Harry Potter (called a spectacle that exceeded expectations). The article also previews upcoming unreleased games including Winchester Mystery House, Predator, Portal, and Beetlejuice with mixed impressions.

Key Claims

Star Wars: Fall of the Empire has a playfield layout that is full of rejects, hard to control, and causes the ball to spiral out of control into outlanes
high confidence · Matt Owen, author, based on personal play experience
Dune launched with underdeveloped code but wows with theme integration and visually stunning day-and-night cycle
high confidence · Matt Owen, author, based on personal play experience
Keith Elwin's King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island received several substantial code updates throughout 2025
high confidence · Matt Owen, author
Harry Potter by Jersey Jack Pinball launched with AI-generated playfield art
high confidence · Matt Owen, author
Portal pinball by Multimorphic experiences software crashes and flipper issues on the P3 platform
medium confidence · Matt Owen, author, based on personal play experience at two separate occasions
Winchester Mystery House is the debut pin from designer Karl DeAngelo
high confidence · Matt Owen, author
Turner Pinball's Merlin's Arcade features tap pass buttons that let any player execute challenging flipper skills on command
high confidence · Matt Owen, author, based on personal play at Pinball Expo 2025

Notable Quotes

“Stern's Star Wars: Fall of the Empire didn't do much to change my mind, either, as it feels pretty by-the-numbers as far as modern machines are concerned.”
Matt Owen — Sets negative tone for Stern's major 2025 release despite strong IP
“With the two pop bumpers that sit halfway up the playfield and a few ramps that sit awkwardly, it's far too common for the ball to spiral out of control, catch a sling, and snipe itself into an outlane at subsonic speeds.”
Matt Owen — Specific technical criticism of Star Wars playfield design
“Merlin's Arcade brings a few innovations to the table, most notably the tap pass buttons, which let any player execute the challenging flipper skill on command.”
Matt Owen — Highlights Turner Pinball's innovation in accessibility for newer manufacturer
“Playing Dune with the sound blasting and in a dark room makes all the difference, as its arresting visuals and excellent audio package deserve your full attention.”
Matt Owen — Emphasizes Barrels of Fun's immersive design philosophy
“If it wasn't clear by now, Keith Elwin is one of the best pinball designers in the industry, and his latest game, King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island, is another example of his mastery.”
Matt Owen — Direct endorsement of Keith Elwin's design prowess
“What stands is a fantastic machine that's immersive, entertaining, and a true spectacle, which lived up to the hype and exceeded expectations.”
Matt Owen — Harry Potter called out as most successful 2025 release relative to expectations
“Unfortunately, the Portal pinball machine was a miss in my opinion, mostly due to the same issues that plague other P3 releases.”
Matt Owen — Multimorphic P3 platform reliability concerns remain unresolved

Entities

Matt OwenpersonStar Wars: Fall of the Empiregame Dunegame Merlin's Arcadegame Ninja EclipsegameKing Kong: The Myth of Terror IslandgameDungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eyegame Harry Pottergame

Signals

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product_concern: Star Wars: Fall of the Empire criticized for poor playfield layout with difficult-to-control shots, pop bumpers causing ball spirals into outlanes, and awkwardly positioned ramps
high · Multiple specific critiques from author after multiple play sessions; issue persists even with improved code
?
code_update: King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island received several substantial code updates throughout 2025 that kept the game fresh
high · Direct statement: 'Thanks to several substantial code updates, King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island has stayed fresh throughout the year'
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code_update: Dune launched with underdeveloped code but improved significantly, suggesting post-launch development cycle
high · Author notes 'Despite the underdeveloped code on launch, Dune wows with its awesome theme integration'
?
design_innovation: Turner Pinball's Merlin's Arcade features tap pass buttons enabling any player to execute challenging flipper skills on command
high · Author highlights this as innovation: 'most notably the tap pass buttons, which let any player execute the challenging flipper skill on command'
?
product_concern: Multimorphic P3 platform continues to experience software crashes and flipper issues; Portal pinball specifically affected
high · Author reports two separate gameplay sessions cut short by crashes; notes this as recurring P3 platform issue

Topics

2025 Pinball Game Releases and RankingsprimaryGame Design Quality and Playfield LayoutprimaryTheme Integration and IP LicensingprimaryCode Updates and Software DevelopmentsecondaryPlatform Reliability Issues (Multimorphic P3)secondaryNew and Emerging ManufacturerssecondaryDesigner Reputation (Keith Elwin)mentioned

Sentiment

neutral(0)

Transcript

web_scrape · $0.000

Like what you're reading? Get pinball news, analysis, and deep dives delivered to your inbox. Get pinball news, analysis, and deep dives delivered to your inbox. Matt Owen is a lifelong gamer and overall media fiend. He can often be found playing endless hours of games or watching an absurd amount of movies and television: action, horror, mystery, and sci-fi in particular. When he's not bingeing entertainment media, Matt enjoys reading and writing fiction, playing pinball, broadcasting, and attempting to cook. If there's one type of fatigue I feel greater than most, it's Star Wars fatigue. More so than even Marvel, I just can't get excited for the property anymore. Stern's Star Wars: Fall of the Empire didn't do much to change my mind, either, as it feels pretty by-the-numbers as far as modern machines are concerned. Even though there is a decent selection of modes, good assets, and fun multiballs to be had, the general playfield layout is full of rejects, hard to control, and hectic in the wrong ways. With the two pop bumpers that sit halfway up the playfield and a few ramps that sit awkwardly, it's far too common for the ball to spiral out of control, catch a sling, and snipe itself into an outlane at subsonic speeds. Even now, with the improved code, I can't help but feel unenthused every time it pops up in tournament or casual play. Turner Pinball saw decent success with their debut pin, Ninja Eclipse, and Merlin's Arcade uses the lessons learned from that initial release to provide a much better experience overall. The theme, which offers a whimsical take on Arthurian legend, affords colorful art and playful modes, but lacks cohesion. Still, Merlin's Arcade brings a few innovations to the table, most notably the tap pass buttons, which let any player execute the challenging flipper skill on command. To be fair, I only played the game a handful of times in its prototype stage, then later at Pinball Expo 2025, but it was still lots of fun to flip on. Assuming that the code continues to develop, Merlin's Arcade is another impressive machine from Turner Pinball, especially given their status as a relatively new pinball manufacturer. Like Turner Pinball, Barrels of Fun is a company that's pretty new in the pinball scene, but they've made a significant splash with their immersive machines. Like their previous game, Labyrinth, Dune marries a beloved cinematic theme with an intriguing layout, packing as much personality into the machine as possible. Based on the popular Dune films, this pin puts you in the shoes of a Fremen rebel living on the desert planet of Arrakis, blasting your way through the movie’s biggest moments. Despite the underdeveloped code on launch, Dune wows with its awesome theme integration and a visually stunning day-and-night cycle, while also providing unique shots and plenty of big, cinematic moments. Playing Dune with the sound blasting and in a dark room makes all the difference, as its arresting visuals and excellent audio package deserve your full attention. Though I appreciate the concept and have rolled dice a few times with my buddies, I'm not exactly a huge fan of Dungeons & Dragons. However, I am a very big fan of role-playing video games, which is basically what Stern's Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye tries to emulate in pinball form. Like a true DnD adventure, this pin lets you spin up a character, obtain new gear and equipment as you level up, battle dragons, and save the world (or doom it). Plus, by using Stern Insider Connected, your progress can be saved and carried from game to game. Although the playfield layout leaves a bit to be desired, with lots of shots up the center spinner and a reject-happy left ramp, DnD: The Tyrant's Eye makes up for it with interesting modes, a cool story, and a satisfying feeling of progression. Though not a great game for high-level competition, Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye is one of my favorites of the year for casual play, constantly beckoning me to drop more quarters in pursuit of beating the campaign and unlocking some of its extra endgame content. If it wasn't clear by now, Keith Elwin is one of the best pinball designers in the industry, and his latest game, King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island, is another example of his mastery. Opting for another movie monster escapade, Elwin brings his signature style to the world of King Kong, with a playfield that totes tons of satisfying shots, excellent features, and more progression options than his previous pins. Brought to life by aggressively colorful playfield art, King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island is vibrant and very fun to shoot, and once you start digging into the nuance of the game's modes and multiballs, it really starts to shine. There's great synergy between game features, exciting moments of risk and reward, as well as satisfying side objectives that dole out small bursts of dopamine. Thanks to several substantial code updates, King Kong: The Myth of Terror Island has stayed fresh throughout the year, and always makes for a fun game of pinball. For decades, Harry Potter stood as a “holy grail” theme for many pinball players, due to both fervent nostalgia and the never-ending meme of becoming a “pinball wizard”. When Jersey Jack Pinball scooped up the license, it was easy to expect an ultra-packed machine, but few foresaw just how impressive it would be. Based on the films rather than the books or a general “Hogwarts” theme, this pin offers everything you'd want in a Harry Potter pinball machine: main modes that cover the entirety of Harry's adventure, a dedicated Quidditch area, massive amounts of video assets, actor-appropriate callouts, and an all-around spectacle unlike any other. Best of all, the game is remarkably fun to flip, thanks to a varied layout with awesome shots and tons of unique pathways. It's not a perfect game, as its audio design occasionally feels like a slot machine rather than a pin, and it launched with egregious instances of AI-generated playfield art, but the overall presentation is still excellent thanks to top-notch theming. What stands is a fantastic machine that's immersive, entertaining, and a true spectacle, which lived up to the hype and exceeded expectations. In addition to the pins listed above, there were several machines that were announced in 2025, but still remain in production and haven't yet popped up on location. While I got the chance to flip on most of these upcoming releases, my playtime wasn't long enough to form a definite opinion, so I've consolidated them here in their own separate section. As we reflect on the best pinball machines of 2025, let's also take a look at the pins that are soon to come, listed in no particular order. The newest game from Barrels of Fun, Winchester Mystery House is the debut pin from designer Karl Karl DeAngelo, and it made a big impression at the 2025 Pinball Expo. Based on the mysterious California home of urban legend, this pin evokes supernatural vibes with its spooky theming and unique playfield layout, accompanied by a solid set of rules and satisfying risk/reward. I've played two games of Winchester Mystery House in total, and have come away more than impressed. Not only is the game fun to play, but it's also appropriately creepy. I look forward to playing more when the game finally launches, as this pin shows significant promise and has kept me intrigued from the first plunge to the final drain. Predator, created by the Pinball Brothers, was another game that I got to check out at the 2025 Pinball Expo, but unfortunately, it failed to leave a good impression. Despite being a decent fan of the theme and some of Pinball Brothers' past pins like Alien, Predator simply didn't speak to me. The game feels clunky on the flippers and the majority of the shots are super safe, leading to a long-playing experience that lacks excitement. In short, Predator hasn’t been much fun to play so far, but I'm still interested in checking it out in the future to see if it improves. I'm a big fan of the Portal video games. I'm also a pretty big fan of Multimorphic, when the machines work properly, at least. Unfortunately, the Portal pinball machine was a miss in my opinion, mostly due to the same issues that plague other P3 releases. The layout and big interactive screen isn't the issue here, but rather the awkward feeling of the flippers and a tendency for the game to break. During two separate occasions, my games of Portal were cut short by software crashes and flipper issues, leaving a familiar and sour taste in my mouth. In theory, this is a pin that should be a homerun, but in practice, it can't escape the issues of its platform. Beetlejuice is the only 2025 release that I haven't had the chance to play, as it was announced close to the end of the year and most gameplay sessions have been invite-only. Like everyone else, I've had to satiate myself with gameplay videos, which have been pretty damn impressive. I'm a shameless Spooky fan, and Beetlejuice is right up my alley, with its colorful art and quirky theming. At this point, I'm loving what I see, except for the constantly flashing lighting, which I very much hope you can disable. With any luck, I'll be able to try out Beetlejuice in early 2026, but for now, it remains an ultra-promising pin that many have yet to play.